Solar water heater



April 12, 193 H. A. WHEELER ET AL SOLAR WATER HEATER Filed May '7, 1929 Witness aha/Mega Patented Apr. 12, 1932 8 1,853,480:

w STATES PATENT" OFFICE HENRY A. WHEELER, AND FRANK 1T. BENTZ, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA; SAID WHEELER AS$IGNQR F ONE-FOURTH To FRANK J. BEN'IZ AND ONE-FOURTH TO II. E. Bmz, OF M X I, FLORIDA SOLAR WATER HEATER Application filed Kay 7, 1929. Serial No. 361,110.

The invention relates to solar water heata nature as to longitudinally expand under ers of the general type in which a storage the influence of heat, copper or other metal tank is provided for the water whose temhaving a high co-efiicient of ex ansion being perature is raised by a sun-heated coil or the used for this ipe. Connected y a union or a like, and it is the principal object of the inthe like 8 to t e outer end of the pipe 7, is a 55 vention to provide a new and improved conhot Water conducting pipe 9 which discharges struction in which no water may pass to the intothe up er portion of a closed hot water tank from the sun-heated water heating storage ta 10. A return pipe 11 extends means, until the water has been raised to a from the lower portion of the tank 10 to the predetermined temperature. inlet end 6 of the coil 5, and a supply pipe 12 to In carrying out the above end, a thermofor water under pressure also connects with static valve is provided controlling the outsaid inlet end 6 of said coil. Hot water from let from the heating coil or the like, said the coil passes through the pipe 9 to the valve being opened when water in said coil upper end of the tank 8 and relatively cool or the like has become heated the required Water from the lower end of said tank reea amount, but remaining closed as long as the turns through the pipe 11 to the coil to be rewater is under said predetermined temperaheated and this circulation of water will take ture. This is not only of advantage in displace as long as none is being drawn ofi from charging hot water to the tank during the the tank 10. When a discharge valve from daytime, but is also advantageous at night, his tank is 0 @11 6. h ever W r under to for the heatin coil or the like is not then pressure from t e pipe 12 passes through the functioning an the valve remains closed, so oil 5, is heated by the latter and passes on that no cold water may be discharged into through the pipe 9 to the tank to take the tank. the place of the water being drawn ofi. To

' A still further aim is to provide a new and prevent the cold water from the pipe 12 from improved construction which is exceptionshort-circuiting around the coil 5, to the ally simple and inexpensive, yet is highly lower end of the tank 10, the pipe 11 is proeiiicient. vided with a check valve 13 which closes to- With the foregoing in view; the invention ward said tank, and due to the provision of resides in the novel subject matter hereina thermostatic valve provided in part by so after described and claimed, description behe pipe 7, no Water can discharge from said ing accomplished by reference to the accomcoil 5 until it has been heated to a predeterpanying drawings. mined temperature.

Fig. 1 is a sectional perspective view. In Fig. 2, a valve seat 14 has been shown Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view threaded into the outlet end of the pipe7 and showing one form of thermostatic valve accessible for adjustment when the union 8 is which may be used at the outlet of the heatdisconnected. (lo-operable with this seat, is ing coil or the like. a valve 15 carried by one end of a rod 16 hav- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a co-efiicient of expansion which is pracing a different form of valve. tically infinitesimal at the temperature at The form of construction selected for illus- Which pipe 7 will elongate materially. The

tration in the present application, will be end of rod 16 remote from the valve 15 is serather specifically described, with the undercured to the pipe 7, for instance by a rivet 17,

standing that within the scope of the inand spacing sleeves 18 preferably surround vengion as claimed, minor variations may be this rivet between the rod and the wall of the ma e. ipe.

The numeral 5 denotes a sun-heated water The seat 14 is so adjusted that whenever heating coil whose inlet end is denoted at 6 pipe 7 is at a relatively low temperature, said i for future reference. The outlet of the coil seat contacts with the valve 15 and no dis- 5 is formed from alength 7 of pipe of such charge of water can take place through the no In Fig. 3, the parts 16,, 17 and 18 correspond to the parts 16, 17 and 18 above described. A pivoted valve 15 is provided however, co-operable with a stationary seat 14' and an adjustable connection by means of a screw 19, is providedbetween said valve and a pivoted terminal 20 on the rod 16'. Screw 19 is accessible for adjustment upon disconnection of the union 8 and when it is properly set, the valve functions in the same manner as that above described, opening at relatively high temperature and closing at low temperature to control passage of water through the coil 5 and to prevent discharge of any water from the latter until it has become heated a predetermined amount.

A discharge pipe 21 is shown for the tank,

10, provided with a spigot 22 or with any number of such spigots at desired locations. This pipe 21 is shown as provided with an upper branch 23 communicating with the up per portion of the tank 10 and with a lower branch 24 communicating with the lower portion of said tank, the inlet end 25 of branch 24 being preferably somewhat above the tank bottom so that the relatively cool water in the lower end of the tank will never discharge through said branch.

The top of the tank 10 is provided with an automatic air escape and air inlet valve 30 of known type. Whenever tank 10 is being filled, valve 30 permits escape of air until said tank is full. Whenever water is being drawn off from the tank by gravity, the valve 30 admits air into the upper end of said tank.

During the daytime, the thermostatic valve at the outlet of the coil 5 permits all water properly heated by said coil to pass to the tank 10 and circulation of water is permitted as above explained, the relatively cool water from the lower end of tank 10 returning to the coil 5 through the pipe 11 and its check valve 13. Whenever a spigot 22 is opened, the hot water under pressure entering the tank 10 forces hot water from the latter through the branches 23 and 24. At night, the thermostatic valve remains closed and no water can enter the tank 10 either directly or indirectly from the supply pipe 12. Then, whenevera spigot 22 is opened, hot water will run by gravlty from the tank 10 through the branch 24. It is thus insured that after sundown, the temperature of the water in the tank 10 shall not be decreased by admission of cold water each time hot water is drawn off. The result is that ample hot water is carried over for the next mornings use.

Due to the excellent results obtainable from the general construction disclosed, it is pre erably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, minor variations may be made as above explained.

We claim: 1

1. In a solar water heating system, a hot water storage tank having a valved discharge line through which hot water may be drawn off from the system, a solar water heater having a water inlet and a water outlet, a water pipe from said heater outlet to said tank for conducting hot water to said tank to replace the hot water drawn from the system through said discharge line, a water supply line leading to said heater inlet from a domestic or city water system for supplying the water which is to replace the hot water drawn from the system, and a thermostatic valve for controlling the outlet of said solar heater, said valve preventing cold water from said supply line from rushing through the solar heater into the tank and operable to open when the water has become heated in said solar heater.

2. In a solar water heating system, a hot water storage tank having a valved discharge line through which hot water may be drawn off from the system, a solar water heater having a water inlet and a water outlet, a water pipe from said heater outlet to said tank for conducting hot water to said tank to replace the hot water drawn from the system through said discharge line, a water supply line leading to said heater inlet from a domestic or city water system for supplying the water which is to replace the hot water drawn from the system, a thermostatic valve for controlling the outlet of said solar heater, said valve preventing cold water from said supply line from rushing through the solar heater into the tank and operable to open when the water has become heated in said solar heater, a water return pipe from the lower end of said tank to said heater inlet, whereby water may circulate through the heater and tank after opening of said thermostatic valve, and means for preventing flow of cold water from said supply pipe to the tank through said return pipe.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our signatures.

HENRY A. WHEELER. FRANK J. BENTZ. 

